“Describe how forensic data can be used in special cases, such as mass disasters, human rights investigations, recovery of war dead, and prehistoric/historic cases of interest. In other words, having come to the end of the class, you should demonstrate that you can apply the knowledge you’ve gained throughout the course.
To do this, you’ll spend some time investigating a type of case that forensic anthropologists in Arizona (and other border states like Texas) spend a lot of time working on. For this project, you’ll study how forensic anthropologists address the issue of border-crossing deaths. This type of investigation has been described as both a mass disaster because of the number of victims involved, and also a human rights issue. In the paper, you will think about the following topics:
U.S. policy regarding immigration since the mid-1990s;
social and political factors in countries that contribute the largest numbers of migrants, that cause people to undertake a potentially deadly trip north;
the geography of southern Arizona corridors where high numbers of deaths have been recorded since the mid-1990s. In your paper you should synthesize the above information to discuss how governmental policy, and political and socioeconomic pressures, collide with Arizona geography to contribute to the challenges faced not only by migrants, but also by forensic anthropologists and other forensic workers who locate, retrieve, analyze, and return human remains from the Arizona southern deserts.
You should include:
a brief overview of U.S. migration policy over the last 25 years that includes a descriiption of what “prevention through deterrence” is;
a brief summary of some of the reasons that people may seek to cross into the U.S., including through the Arizona southern deserts;
an awareness of southern Arizona physical geography where the majority of human remains have been located; and
a discussion of challenges for recovery, collection, and identification of those remains that are faced by Arizona forensic workers.
A. READINGS:
Border Patrol Strategic Plan 1994 and Beyond (“BPSP”) (SKIM PAGES 1-8, and REVIEW the “Illegal Entry Corridors” attachment): to an external site.
Also read this page about “prevention through deterrence”: to an external site.
Central America Migration Forces: to an external site.
Mexico Migration Forces: to an external site.
Arizona Geography: to an external site.
Southern Arizona Geography: to an external site.
B. MAPPING PROJECT WEBSITE:
Arizona Open GIS Initiative for Deceased Migrants: to an external site.
C. PODCASTS, VIDEOS, NEWS COVERAGE ABOUT FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGICAL WORK:
to an external site.
to an external site.
to an external site.
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Last Completed Projects
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